Why are many libertarians against socialism when socialism could mean support for worker cooperatives?

Posted by RedStorm1917@reddit | Libertarian | View on Reddit | 17 comments

Libertarians often say socialism is inherently statist and will lead to big government. However many socialists support worker’s cooperatives instead of centralized economic planning. Wouldn’t this still be in alignment with libertarian values of liberty and minimal government interference?

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CalligrapherOther510@reddit

The question is flawed for starters we don’t care about worker cooperatives, and two “many socialist support worker’s cooperatives instead of centralized economic planning.” This implies a support some kind of economic planning our ideology rejects that as well. But on the flip side, ideologically if you want to start a workers run commune or a company like Mondragon we support your rights, freedom and conscience to do so.

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IndependentName9@reddit

There could be voluntary workers cooperatives without a government.

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Martorfank@reddit

support worker’s cooperatives instead of centralized economic planning

Most of the time they do support central planning, like taxes, fixed prices, regulations, etc.

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WindBehindTheStars@reddit

Because socialism is by nature involuntary, and requires that a person's labor be a means to another person's end. If people want to create voluntary systems like this that people can freely enter and leave, libertarians will support their right to do so, but never to take by force that which belongs to one person in order to give to another.

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SoggyGrayDuck@reddit

Anyone who thinks socialism will work on a large scale simply refuses to look past their selfish goal of not having to work but still getting everything they want. They simply don't see the issue of "who will do the hard work?" And just assume someone else will.

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WindBehindTheStars@reddit

Like in Star Trek where they keep telling us that money doesn't exist, who the jell is going to go to work building starships or making computer parts? I can see how some people might want to cook for people, make wine, or whatever because of personal satisfaction, but the grunt work is not going to get done.

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saigid@reddit

This is just semantics. If by socialism you mean state socialism, which is what people usually mean, then that’s obv anathema. Democratic socialism (essentially what we have) is still a no because the majority is imposing it on the rest. Collectives and communes that people join by free will (putting aside the fact that folks born into it aren’t choosing) are not inherently statist, though the history of such things shows that power always reasserts itself and without the checks and balances that keep it from running rampant.

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Hard-4-Jesus@reddit

Individuals can cooperate to run a business however they want, that's up to them, as long as it's all voluntary. There is literally nothing stopping people from running a "workers cooperative" in capitalism. In socialism however, everybody is forced to follow certain ways of doing business, and that's not okay.

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RyanBleazard@reddit

We all have our own individual self-interest, we favour our own private property and our own individual space, that's what socialism seeks to eradicate and there's no way of controlling that without a central planner (government).

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Grand-Expression-783@reddit

It's worth pointing out owners are also workers. Ignoring that, socialists want to force workers' cooperatives. Libertarians have no issue with workers at company X quitting and starting company Y and collectively owning everything. Further, libertarians want liberty for everyone while socialists want liberty for some while the government rapes others.

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